All Shook Up
by FalconPrincess
Summary: Bucky has run off... again, and it is the job of the Avengers' newest recruit to bring him back in. He is instantly intrigued by her, and as they are forced together through missions, they grow close despite the fragile state of his mind. This time, however, everyone is all together in trying to help Bucky, but will it work?
1. Stranger In The Crowd

Long, casual strides took James Barnes through Macy's, with his eyes scanning the racks as he passed them. He had been stuck wearing the same pair of goddamn jeans for the past month and had finally broken down enough to go shopping for a new pair. He found a table piled high with Levi's and absentmindedly shuffled through the clothing, absolutely awestruck at the variety of denim one store could sell. He finally settled on a darker blue wash, realized with a groan that he had absolutely no idea what size he wore, and resorted to contorting himself so he could read the size on the tag of the pair he had on, making sure no one was watching this admittedly awkward maneuver first. He found his size on the table and headed to the fitting rooms, deciding it was better to try on the jeans before he bought them than to have to go through the hassle of returning them in the off chance they didn't fit him. On his way over, he passed by a woman browsing through a rack of red dresses, but as he passed she turned to look at him. Their eyes met and he gave her a flirty smirk, causing her to blush and smile back shyly before resuming her search.

As he emerged from the fitting rooms, he saw two large men walking purposefully toward him, and his blood ran cold. He knew that eventually Hydra would catch up with him, but he hoped that by laying low in a small town he would be fine. He hurried in the other direction, turning through the store and hoping to at least temporarily lose his followers. He practically flew past the jewelry counters before he was stopped by a woman walking into his path. It was the same woman from the dress rack, and a gentle smile played on her lips.

"Um, hey." Her voice was soft and she was obviously very nervous, "So, my name's Katie, and I don't really do this like, ever, but I thought you were kind of cute and my friend kind of dared me to, so I was wondering if you'd maybe want to go grab a cup of coffee with me?" she fiddled with her hands and looked hopefully up into Bucky's eyes. He mentally kicked himself for even smiling at her earlier, because now she was standing in the way of his escape, but he attempted to stay calm.

"Listen, Katie?" he looked around awkwardly, raking his mind for any excuse to leave right then and there. It's not that she was anything less than beautiful, and if he were in any other situation than the one he was in now, he would've taken her up on her offer instantly, but he had to leave, and quickly.

"You know, I'd really love to have coffee with you but-"

" _Shit_ " she cursed, and he noticed her eyes had moved to something over his left shoulder. Her smile dropped instantly and her full lips pressed into a hard line. She grabbed the wrist of his metal arm and began to pull.

"Listen, you need to come with me right now." The California-Valley lilt her voice had held before was now gone and she frantically looked around the store, trying to find a quick exit.

Bucky pulled his arm back and out of her grasp, eyeing her suspiciously, "Who are you?"

She rolled her eyes, "You're James Buchanan Barnes, right? Well I'm a friend of a friend, and I need you to follow me, _now._ I can explain everything on our way but right now I need to get you to safety." She resumed her hold on his wrist, "So play along."

There was an exit directly in front of him that led out to the rest of the mall, and the woman turned to face it, pulling his wrist so his arm draped around her shoulders and walking swiftly toward the exit. As soon as they left the store, she guided them directly into a large crowd of people; her pace quickening into more of a jog now and his arm slipping from off of her shoulder as he sped up to stay by her side. The woman shot a glance behind them to see that the men were now pushing their way through the crowd and ducked through more people before turning into a small store and heading for the back corner. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the men coming to the entrance of the store and scanning the mass of people around them. Racking her brain for anything to keep their eyes off of the pair, she remembered a trick her mentor had once taught her.

 _Public displays of affection make people very uncomfortable._

She turned to Barnes, an apologetic look in her eyes, and placed a hand on his shoulder. Confusion twisted his face slightly, and her other hand went to the back of his head and pulled her lips to his. She felt him tense but held him close to her still, her eyes slightly open, until she saw the men hurry away from the store. She let him loose and stepped away, noticing a look of pure shock embedded in his features. His head was still bent down and his eyes were wide, and though she thought it was a little cute, she rolled her eyes and pulled him away and out of the store.

They headed to the upper level of the mall, hoping to lose the two men downstairs, but as they stepped off of the escalator, she spotted two more Hydra agents not far in front of them. She turned around and saw the two agents from before making their way up the escalator behind them, and Barnes must have spotted them as well because in the next moment he was grabbing her hand, his gloved fingers lacing in with hers. She shot a look back at him, confused by the sudden contact, and he nodded to something to the left of her. Realizing with horror what he was suggesting, she began to protest, but he was much stronger than she was and yanked her toward the source of his plan.

The woman let out a scream as they crashed through the window, and Barnes twisted around so she was facing his chest, with him in between her and the pavement below. As they landed, the breath was knocked out of them and they lay still, listening to the shards of glass sprinkling down around them. She pushed herself up and off of him, trying desperately to catch her breath.

"You okay?" she wheezed, offering a hand to help him up. He nodded and stood, and she began to lead him away to the parking garage. "Come on, I have a friend here waiting to pick us up."

Barnes bristled at this comment, but decided that this woman was probably less harmful than the agents in pursuit behind them. The two rounded a corner and a large jet came into view, with the loading bay sitting open. The woman ran up into the belly of the jet, her black boots clicking on the metal floor, but he stopped just short of the entrance. He knew this jet. She turned around, her fawn hair whipping around behind her, and held out her hand.

"Barnes, come on." She pleaded, "We need to get you out of here now!"

"Who are you?" he asked, not moving from where he stood. "How do I know I can trust you?"

She sighed, "My name is really Lillian Gray, and I can tell you everything else you'd need to know as soon as you _get on the damn jet_. Come on." Barnes set his jaw in response. Deciding she didn't have time for this, she pulled a tranquilizer gun from her waistband near her lower back and shot him in the chest. He fell immediately, and she was barely able to catch him; her arm gripping around his waist so her shoulder propped his limp body up slightly.

"Steve! I'm gonna need some help out here! Damn, you super soldiers are heavy."

A tall blonde man approached from the front of the jet, rushing to aid her in carrying the dark haired man. Together, they brought him into the belly of the jet and lay him on the cold floor. The ramp closed behind them and Steve gave Lillian a pat on the back.

"Thank you, Lilly." His smile made his blue eyes shine, and they both held on as the jet lifted off. Lillian sat down on the bench opposite of where Barnes was passed out, her head falling into her hands.

"What's wrong?" Steve asked, crouching down next to her. She shook her head, and he tilted his, not letting her blow him off.

"I just," she started, unsure of how she wanted to express her worry. "I really hope we're doing the right thing here, Cap. He seems like a good guy, and I don't want to be responsible for putting him through any more unnecessary pain."

Steve nodded and stood, "Trust me, we are. I won't let anything happen to him."

They both gazed down at the sleeping soldier, in awe of how peaceful he seemed in his sleep. His whole face had softened and his mouth hung open slightly, allowing heavy breaths to escape. Steve returned to the cockpit without another word, leaving Lillian alone and with 10 minutes to figure out how the hell she was going to explain everything to Barnes.


	2. Goin' Home

The jet rocked gently as the wind picked up, and Lillian crouched down next to Barnes. She pushed a lock away from his face and studied it; his chapped lips, thick stubble, and the dark bags that puffed out under his eyes. She figured she had about a minute before he woke up, and another five until they reached the Compound, and Lillian had yet to think of a good way to explain this whole situation to him. What was she supposed to say? _Hey, sorry I totally kidnapped you, but some people who you barely know (and most of whom have tried to kill you before) reeaallyy want you to work for them. But don't worry, it's going to be totally different from the last people who used you as a hired gun!_ She hung her head in frustration and turned to face the cockpit.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y., let everyone know we're almost there please." She called out to the AI system piloting the ship.

"I alerted them as soon as we took off, Ms. Gray. The others are preparing to receive Sergeant Barnes." A woman's voice that lilted with an Irish accent rang through the belly of the jet.

"Thank you!" Lillian said with a smile.

"Almost where?" Barnes' gruff voice was nearly a whisper.

Lillian's head snapped to face him, immediately nervous. "Hey," she flashed a quick smile, "how are you feeling? How long have you been awake?"

He smirked deeply, "About five minutes, so long enough. I feel like I got hit by a train though, so thanks for that."

Still crouched down next to him, Lillian winced. _Of course he woke up early. Stupid super-soldier metabolism_. She mentally kicked herself. "Sorry about that, it'll go away soon though." Barnes started to sit up, but she stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "I wouldn't. Normal people's stomachs would be turning right now, and if you threw up on me I'd probably have to kill you."

He smiled and proceeded to sit up anyway, gently pushing her hand off of his shoulder. "I think I'll be okay. And you didn't answer my question."

She sighed and stood, running a hand through her hair. "Listen, I don't know you all that well, so maybe you should talk to someone else. Okay?"

Barnes' smile fell, a mask of frustration distorting his features. "Like who?"

Footsteps came from the cockpit and Lillian nodded her head toward the source. "Him."

Steve appeared, beaming at the sight of Barnes, who returned it with a small grin. She decided to leave them alone for the time being so they could catch up and made her way to the cockpit. She sat in the pilot's seat and propped her feet up on the control board; a luxury she could rarely take advantage of, especially when Tony was around. If there was one quick way to piss Tony Stark off, it was by putting your feet up on anything: workbenches, dashboards, and especially anywhere in the jet. Lillian chuckled; as much as he aggravated her to no end, she had to admit that she missed Tony, and everyone else back at the Compound as well. Having spent the past two months tailing and keeping an eye on Barnes, she had missed out on some serious quality time with the people she had grown to call her friends, and she was definitely ready to be back with them.

The Compound rose into view as the jet landed with a soft thud and she smiled broadly at the sight of everyone gathered at the entrance. She jumped out of the chair and made her way back into the jet's belly to see both Steve and Barnes standing and looking surprisingly comfortable. Lillian flashed a smile at the both of them before approaching Steve and resting a hand on his bicep, silently in awe of the sheer size of it. Even though he was her friend, she was constantly amazed by Steve Rogers and the beauty and purity that he was.

"Ready?" she asked, her gaze catching Barnes'. Both of the men nodded. "Good."

The ramp lowered and Lillian was the first to exit, jogging over to the small crowd of people and flinging her arms around Sam Wilson's neck. The man laughed and returned her embrace, patting her on the back before she pulled back and smiled at everyone.

"What's up, Hothead?" Sam winked at her as she went to hug Tony, who hugged her loosely. She made her way through the group, next going to Rhodey and Bruce, then Wanda and Clint, and finally giving friendly nods to both Nat and Vision, neither of whom had much appreciation for hugging. She then turned to watch Steve and Barnes making their way down the concrete walkway that connected the landing pad and the rest of the Compound. Everyone greeted Steve with warmth, and although they tried to conceal their hesitance toward Barnes, Lillian had to admit that most of them did a pretty poor job. They moved inside as a group and settled around a large dining room table, with Barnes sticking close by both Steve and Lillian.

With a nod from Tony, Steve prompted, "Hey Buck, let's go get you cleaned up, alright? They're just going to debrief and figure out some of the technical stuff, nothing you can't miss." Barnes looked to Lillian, almost hesitant to leave her, but eventually resigned to following Steve to the nearest bathroom with a shower.

"So, how'd it go?" Tony asked, waiting for Lillian to spill every tiny detail of the mission she had just completed. Once she had finished, everyone around the table sat in silence, nodding.

"So where's he going to be sleeping?" Lillian demanded. "You do have an actual bedroom for him, right? Because I'm not about to let you stick him in some cell."

"We haven't exactly figured out the specifics of that." Nat jumped in, "We need some kind of security just in case he tries to-"

"Kill one of us?" Rhodey chimed in, resulting in a glare from both Nat and Lillian.

" _Escape again."_ Nat continued.

"I understand. How about you put him in a room close to mine?" Lillian proposed. "That way I can keep an eye on him, but he can also have his own space. I know how he works, he's not going anywhere without me noticing."

Tony nodded, and without any protest from the others, he moved to the elevator. "I'll go get his room ready then. I hope you're right, Lil."

After Tony left, the group chatted here and there, but soon Lillian escaped to her room; exhausted from her day. She showered swiftly, and as she emerged from her bathroom into the main suite of her room in her plush white robe, there was a knock on her door. She opened it to reveal Tony, who chuckled at the sight of her.

"That's a good look for you," he nodded to the towel twisted on her head that was keeping her hair up. She rolled her eyes, and he continued, "Barnes' room is ready. He doesn't know you're in here, but here" he handed her a small rectangular screen, "to keep an eye on him. See you in the morning, Princess." He gave her a small kiss on the cheek and headed back upstairs to the others.

Lillian closed the door and made her way back to her bed. Discarding her robe and placing it on a towel hook on the bathroom door, she pulled a large t-shirt over her head, causing the towel to fall down. She mussed her hair with it in an attempt to help dry it before placing it on the other towel hook and crawling into bed. She placed the screen on her bedside table, projecting it into the air and cuddling up with her thick duvet. She watched Barnes enter his room, immediately strip off his shirt and settle into a king sized bed identical to her own; both of them falling asleep soon after.

* * *

 **Hey there! It's so nice to have so many follows after like two days of this being up, so thank you all! I'm so in love with this story idea and I'm really looking forward to fleshing out my entire idea. I hope you all will enjoy where I take this! I'll try to update pretty regularly (I'll probably have another chapter up within the next 2-3 days), but I am in school, so be patient with me!**

 **Much Love,**

 **Kendall**


	3. Early Morning Rain

James Buchanan Barnes woke to the pitter-patter of rain against the large window of his room, a sound that had become quite familiar during his stay at the Avengers Facility. The rain had started in the middle of his first night there, and was still going three days later, meaning he had been trapped inside of the building for the entirety of his time there. Much to his dismay, Lillian had disappeared that first night and had not been seen since, leaving him with only Steve for company. As much as he loved Steve and enjoyed his company, however, it was strange to him to be around his best friend. Steve still treated him like he was that same boy from Brooklyn, and although there was still definitely a large part of that boy left, Bucky had changed. He was slowly regaining some memory from his time as a young man, but he would never truly be the same one that Steve remembered and wished he could be. He didn't have the heart to communicate this to Steve in fear of hurting him, so he tried to keep his distance until he could find a better way to handle what he was feeling; wandering the halls and scoping out the hundreds of rooms in the facility.

Bucky sat up and looked around the dim room – the curtains over the window combined with the gloomy weather outside barely allowed any light in the room – and slowly swung his bare feet off of the bed and onto the cold wooden floor. On his first night, Tony had fixed the room for him by making the bed and providing him with toiletries and towels, but it still lacked the homey feel which Bucky so desperately desired, so he made a mental note to try and find someone to help him decorate. He stretched as he stood, loosening his muscles, and wandered over to the dresser where the clothes he had accumulated over the past few days now rested. Sifting through seemingly countless shirts, Bucky decided on a black t-shirt and pulled it over his head, the shirt almost blending in to his black sweatpants. He made his way to the large wooden door of his bedroom and, for the first time in what seemed like forever, headed toward the kitchen to eat breakfast.

Light chatter drifted from the kitchen, and as he stuck his head around the corner he saw a full table of people, making Bucky wince and almost turn around. He grit his teeth as he heard Steve call him back, and cursed himself for not being invisible.

"Morning, Buck. Sleep well?" Steve prompted.

Bucky nodded, "Yeah, just fine thanks." And managed a small smile.

Tony spoke, his mouth full of cereal, "Captain Crunch over there if you're hungry," he gestured to the kitchen counter, where a bowl and spoon was already set out along with a large gallon of milk. A small "thanks" escaped Bucky's lips as he made his way over to the counter and poured an enormous bowl of cereal. He then plopped down in the chair farthest away from everyone and proceeded to shovel the crunchy cereal into his mouth. When Steve had finished his breakfast, he came and sat next to Bucky, crossing his right ankle over his left knee and looking at him with a smile plastered to his face. Bucky turned his head to face him, his mouth full of food, and smiled awkwardly.

"I've got some good news for you, Buck." Steve finally said, receiving a low _hmmph_ from the other man. "We've got your first mission lined up in just a couple of weeks." he continued, looking more excited than Bucky thought he should.

Knowing it would make Steve happy to see him looking forward to it, Bucky put on a mask of enthusiasm as well, "Really? That's great, where to?"

"Well, our higher-ups said that we'd need to evaluate you a little first before telling you anything, but I _can_ say that it's out of the country." Bucky felt his heart sink slightly at the mention of evaluations. _They want to make sure there's no chance of me being controlled by anyone other than them I suppose._

"And," Steve continued, "It'll be a small group of us, just so you can get used to being out in the field without any unnecessary pressure." He shot a glance over at Tony before returning his gaze to his friend. "It'll be the two of us, Sam, and Lillian, and in a couple of days we're all going to sit down and plan so it can go off without a hitch. Are you okay with that?"

Bucky took the last bite of his cereal and nodded at Steve, admittedly a little excited to have a chance to work with Lillian. He had seen how Sam and Steve operated, but the woman was still somewhat of a mystery to him. He stood. "Have you seen her around lately?" he asked, feigning innocence.

Steve smirked, unable to help his mind from going back to Bucky's (for lack of a better word) womanizing younger self, but he quickly shook the memories. "Last I heard she was headed to the gym with Wanda, but you might want to give them some space. It can get a little," he hesitated, searching for the right words, "chaotic in there."

Bucky's face twisted in confusion and Steve held up a hand. "I can't really explain just- you'll find out." This left Bucky even more confused, but he just turned and shook his head, making his way to where he knew the gym was. As he turned down the corridor that led to the large gym area, he heard a scream and instantly began running to the open double doors.

"God _dammit_ Wanda, I can't do this!" Lilly's strained voice sounded again just as he reached the entryway. He pressed his back to the wall outside, not wanting to be seen by either of the women, and listened.

"Lilly, yes you can. Just relax and try again." Wanda's voice was calm and reassuring, but her statement resulted in even more frustration from Lilly.

"Wanda, we've been at this for _weeks_ now with no progress. I can't control it."

Bucky leaned out slightly to get a glimpse of the two women. Lilly was laying on the floor on her right hip with her body propped up by her hands and Wanda was crouched next to her with her long lair pulled back into a loose ponytail.

"Then don't." Wanda's voice was almost a whisper, "Let it flow through you, become you. Once you stop fearing it, _that's_ when you can truly control the power inside of you."

Lilly shook her head. "I don't want to hurt you."

Wanda offered a sad smile. "There's not much anyone can do that'll hurt me these days. Come on." She stood and held out a hand to Lillian, who brushed her hair out of her face before accepting the other woman's help.

Both women stood now, facing each other so all Bucky could see was their profiles. Lilly's hair swished loose around her hips and she rolled her shoulders in an attempt to relax. Wanda mimicked her position; her legs slightly spread apart and her shoulders loose, and nodded. Lilly closed her eyes and held her hand out to her sides so that he palms faced Wanda and breathed deeply. On the exhale, a faint red glow grew from her palms. It happened so slowly that Bucky had to blink a few times to make sure he was seeing correctly, but surely enough it was spreading along her forearms now, growing stronger.

Then, it was everywhere.

A swirling vortex of red surrounded Lillian; her face contorted in pain. Bucky recognized the energy around her; it was similar to the power Wanda wielded. Lillian's, however, was much more raw, unrefined, like fire almost. Bucky pressed his back to the wall once more, letting out a breath he didn't realize he was holding in. He had no idea what the hell had just happened, but he wasn't sure he wanted to see any more if it for the time being, so he swiftly returned to his room and locked the door behind him.

 _Boy, that woman has a lot of explaining to do._


	4. I Can Help

Two days after the gym incident, most of the team left on a mission, leaving only Bucky, Wanda, and Lillian in the compound. Bucky had taken up the habit of locking himself in his room and the only times Wanda and Lillian would see each other was during their training, so a quiet air settled in the large building. Lillian's control was slowly but steadily growing stronger thanks to Wanda's teaching, and Wanda's power was improving as well during this time, much to the pleasure of Steve and Tony.

It was late one night, with Bucky laying in his bed watching history videos to try and catch up on the years he missed, when a new sound drifted to his room from down the hall. He sat up almost instantly; it had been completely silent in this part of the compound for days and the noise intrigued him. He could faintly identify a guitar and a low, calming voice crooning, seemingly beckoning him from the depths of his bedroom. He cursed himself for allowing curiosity to get the best of him as he padded to the door, unclicked the lock, and slowly pulled his door open just enough to look outside. A door stood open a little ways down the hall, on the opposite side from his, allowing a soft yellow light to flow through the corridor. Without thinking, Bucky found himself walking to the door, trying his best to keep quiet until he reached the doorway. He stood out in the open, making no attempt to hide himself as he listened to the beautiful music.

 _Love me tender_

 _Love me long_

 _Take me to your heart_

 _For it's there that I belong_

 _And we'll never part_

Lillian stood with her back to her open door, folding laundry and swaying to the music pouring from her record player. Bucky couldn't help but smile when he realized she was humming along, and stood there for a moment to watch her. He was amazed at how different the woman before him was from the one he saw in the gym earlier that week; she seemed happy and in her element rather than uncomfortable and stressed out.

"It's rude to stare, Barnes." Her voice startled him into standing up straight.

"Bucky." He corrected, and she turned to face him, lifting an eyebrow.

"It's rude to stare, _Bucky._ " She repeated, and Bucky gestured to the room as if asking permission to come in, resulting in a nod and a sweeping gesture from Lillian.

He strode to the record player, a smile glued to his lips. "I can't believe you're using one of these things."

Lillian shrugged, "I like how the music sounds on vinyl, it's almost more authentic." She laughed lightly at herself for the comment and chastised herself for opening her mouth. It was strange to be in the same room as the man she had watched for months; it was an entirely different feeling altogether.

Bucky turned his head to face her, "Who is this?"

Shocked, Lillian's mouth dropped open slightly. "You don't recognize the King?" she asked, her gray eyes wide.

Bucky's eyebrows raised. "Did you miss the part where I was kept cryogenically frozen for most of the 20th century?"

An annoyed expression crossed the woman's face. "That still isn't a good enough excuse for not knowing one of the greatest musicians to have ever lived." She sassed back. "This is Elvis Presley, and I think it's time you caught up on some culture here. Sit." She pointed to a plush red armchair next to her bed.

He obeyed without question, sitting in the chair with his elbows resting on his knees, and watched as Lillian picked the needle up from the record, only to place it down back at the beginning of the record. The man's deep voice once again filled the room, only singing a different song. Lillian moved the clothes that she had been folding down to a laundry basket on the floor (Bucky blushed when he noticed most of it was comprised of undergarments) and sat on the bed next to the armchair. She mouthed the lyrics along with the singer, a small smile etched onto her lips, and was watching Bucky expectantly; excited to be introducing him to one of her favorite artists. They sat in silence as the album continued, Bucky now very much enjoying listening to "The King" as Lillian affectionately referred to Elvis Presley. She was laying on the bed now, bouncing her bare feet to the beat of the current song.

 _Well she touched my hand what a chill I got_

 _Her lips are like a volcano when it's hot_

 _I'm proud to say that she's my buttercup_

 _I'm in love_

 _I'm all shook up_

When the first side of the record had ended, Lillian stood up to change it; Bucky, who had been broken from his trance, gazed at her worriedly.

"I know what it's like," she stopped abruptly before setting the needle back down, keeping her back to him. He continued, "To feel like you're not in control of yourself."

She turned, her eyes going wide and her expression nervous. "What are you-"

"I saw you and Wanda in the gym the other day. I didn't want to say anything because I didn't really know _what_ to say, but I just want you to know that you're not alone. I can help."

She flicked the power button on the player and the record spun slowly to a halt, and she turned her back to him. "You should probably go. It's getting late and you have evaluation in the morning; you need to get good rest."

Bucky's heart sank, but he stood and walked to the door, stopping just short of exiting before repeating: "I can help, Lillian." And began to take a step toward his room.

"Lilly," she corrected, making Bucky grin.

After he left, Lillian shut the door and returned to her bed, thinking about what the man had just said. At one point, she feared she was beyond help, that soon her power would either destroy her or everyone around her, but now she was hopeful that with Wanda's (and maybe even now Bucky's) help, she could overcome her fear and learn to grow into her ability. She prayed she was right.

* * *

 **Howdy Howdy! A little bit shorter of a chapter today just to give you guys a little peek into the growth of Buck's and Lillian's relationship, but I should have another one in like a day (or less... O.o)**

 **Anyway, thank you guys SO MUCH for all of the love and reviews! It means so much to me that you love Lillian as a character and I really hope to keep you guys hooked on this story since this is the most work and (kind of) research I've ever done for a fic! I'm so excited for where I want to take this, but for now I must leave you! I love you guys!**


	5. Gentle On My Mind

Men in suits had come knocking on Bucky's door early the next morning, claiming they were there to take him to his evaluation, so he dressed quickly and the next thing he knew he was being pushed onto a slanted metal slab. The men were strapping him in, and he looked at them frantically, clueless to their motives. Once metal bands had been locked around his wrists, ankles, and chest, the men took their leave. Directly in front of him, Bucky noticed a large mirror, which he figured was a one-way glass window, so he flashed a sarcastic smile to whoever might be watching him.

Outside the door to the evaluation room, Lillian was straightening the black blazer she wore. She pushed flyaway hairs out of her face and attempted to secure them back into the bun that the rest of her hair stayed in, but to no use. A man cleared his voice and Lillian's hands snapped down to her sides, calming herself before she entered the room. She absolutely hated the fact that she was the one to evaluate Bucky, but her higher-up's excuse was that she knew the man best, and despite her arguing that Rogers actually knew him the best, she was assigned to him nonetheless.

She entered the room with a calm look on her face, but as she saw him she quickly grew upset. Why were they forcing her to do this? This man had been through enough without the insult of this added torture.

Bucky instantly felt relieved when Lillian walked through the door. There was something about her that he trusted, and something that calmed him down whenever she was around. When he gave her a small smile, the one she returned was stiff, and he could tell that she was nervous. About what, he did not know, but he felt the need to tell her that everything would be okay. He opened his mouth to speak and she held up a finger to stop him, a low shake of her head letting him know that now was not the time for them to speak as friends.

"Sergeant Barnes, you have been brought here to be evaluated. This team needs to know that you no longer pose a threat to them, and that there is absolutely no chance of that changing." Her voice was cold, and Bucky winced, knowing exactly what she was talking about.

"Hydra conditioned you while you were in their captivity, is that correct?" she continued. Bucky set his jaw and nodded sharply.

"And you are aware of the means they used to – for lack of a better word – 'activate' the Winter Soldier?" another nod from Bucky.

"Good," she paused and turned to the glass, "Sergeant Barnes, I am here today in order to test you to see if the Winter Soldier is still triggered by these words. If you pass this test, meaning that you have no reaction to the words I say, then you are free to join the Avengers. If not, _other_ arrangements must be made. Do you understand?" a final nod from the man.

"I need to check your vitals before we begin, so as to accurately measure the effect."

Bucky was hurt that the woman who was so kind to him the night before could be acting so cold toward him. It wasn't until she strode toward him, her heels clicking the concrete floor, that he saw the glint of mischief in her eyes. She placed two warm fingers on his neck and leaned in close enough so he was the only one who could hear her.

"Listen Bucky, I don't want to do this just as much as, if not more than, you do. My thoughts are: if they don't work then we'll have put you through this stress for nothing, and if they do, then both you and I are in for a _really_ bad day. I don't want to get hurt, I'm sure you don't want to hurt anyone; this whole thing is just going to end up as salt in the wound for you and I don't want to have to put you through that. So here's what we're going to do: those agents out there on the other side of the glass don't know Russian, so I'm just going to say a few random words – some of which will have to be the actual ones just in case they decide to look them up – you're gonna act a little messed up, but in the end we'll both be fine and we'll walk out of here without a care in the world, alright?"

Bucky's fists clenched in an attempt to stop the shaking that threatened to course through him and nodded slightly at the woman. She gave a comforting smile before turning to the glass and raising her voice.

"Vitals are normal, we are ready to proceed." She sat at the metal table directly in front of Bucky, opened a large file in which he saw a few pictures of himself (both pre- and post- HYDRA), and grabbed a pen in her left hand. She scribbled something onto a blank sheet of paper, and when she was finished, locked eyes with Bucky.

"желание" the word rolled off Lillian's tongue and he instantly winced. He desperately wanted to trust the woman, but he found himself fighting down the urge to break from his bonds and run for the hills.

"ржaвый" the urge grew and he shut his eyes, a pained look appearing on his face. It broke Lillian's heart that she was forced to do this to him, but still she continued.

"король" this allowed Bucky a break, at least enough to regain his breath.

"танцы" his eyes reopened and focused once more on Lillian's. He knew that as long as he focused on her, he would be okay.

"печь" a shudder went through him once more and he felt his nails bite into his palm, but still he stared unwaveringly into Lillian's eyes.

"девять" almost finished.

"сердце" her eyes were light and soft, a cool gray-blue.

"возвращение на родину" they were an island for him.

"полночь" their contact was broken for a brief moment when Lillian looked down to scribble something on the paper.

"грузовой вагон" he exhaled as the last word came from her lips.

She stood and came around the table to him. His eyes never left her face as she once again took his pulse, recorded it on the paper, and without another word, left him in the room alone. He felt weak as the same men as before came to release him from his bonds and return him to his room.

As he entered his bedroom, he was greeted by the sight of a large basket on his bed. Upon further inspection, he was surprised to find candy, some trinkets to decorate his room with, socks, a small plant, and a large, pale blue blanket dotted with dog pawprints. He smiled and began to unpack the basket; placing the plant on his windowsill, the blanket on his bed, and the socks in one of his dresser drawers. He had no idea what to do with the little baubles, so he set them down on top of the desk in the room and opened a chocolate bar. He was halfway through eating it when he felt someone watching him from his door.

"Didn't you tell me before that it was rude to stare?" he said, turning toward the woman standing in the doorway.

She shrugged. "Mind if I come in?" he shook his head and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Was all this you?" he gestured to the basket.

"And Steve, yeah. We thought it'd be nice to get you some stuff to spruce up the place. It was looking pretty bare, and the chocolate was a little pick-me-up for today. Sam picked out the blanket, he said 'you can never go wrong with puppies' or something like that."

Bucky couldn't help but chuckle, "I guess he's right. I appreciate it, I really do." His smile was warm and genuine.

"Of course," Lillian returned the smile and picked up one of the trinkets: a small glass octopus, and turned it over in her hand. "If you need any help decorating, let me know. I know a few people who would love to help out." She winked, set it down, and walked back to the door.

"Hey Lilly?"

She turned back to face him, an unreadable look on her face.

"Thank you. For everything." He stood and approached her slowly.

She smiled and turned her head from his gaze, "Just doing my job." She began to turn again before his words stopped her once more.

"Hey, I really liked – um – do you think you could show me some more of that music?" he asked, "You know, if you aren't too busy or anything." He hurriedly added.

She eyed him curiously before nodding. "Yeah, okay."

They made their way to her bedroom then, and after brief perusing through her vast record collection, she found the perfect one and placed it on the player. Bucky sat on the edge of her bed and lay back so only his upper body rested on it. Lillian placed the needle down and a soft static filled the room, shortly followed by a piano. She joined him and mimicked his position, letting out a huff when she was comfortable.

 _Wise men say_

"Bucky?" her voice was quiet.

"Yeah?"

"You really like Elvis?" she turned to face him.

He grinned, "Yeah, I really do."

A smug smile flickered on her lips. "Cool."

 _But I can't help…_


End file.
